Shaker Heights and Mentor Advance to regionals
My first stop Saturday afternoon was at Twinsburg High School, where Shaker Heights defeated Solon 66-48. The Red Raiders forced a myriad of turnovers largely in part of their full-court press. My next stop was Euclid High School, where I…
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Continue ReadingMy first stop Saturday afternoon was at Twinsburg High School, where Shaker Heights defeated Solon 66-48. The Red Raiders forced a myriad of turnovers largely in part of their full-court press. My next stop was Euclid High School, where I caught Mentor’s 71-69 over Brush for the second consecutive district title for the Cardinals. Here are some of the top performers from those games.
Shaker Heights 66 vs Solon 48
Dakota Cochran Dakota Cochran 6'2" | SG Shaker Heights | 2020 OH : Has the size to defend bigger guards. Cochran has quick feet for his size and did a good job keeping defenders in front of him. He finished with 16 points and seven rebounds to lead the Raiders to the district title.
Danny Young Jr Danny Young Jr 6'2" | CG Shaker Heights | 2022 State OH Jr: Attacked the basket with a purpose. Young moves well with the ball in his hands and made plays in the open court late in the game. Has a very high ability to finish through contact near the rim and ended the game with 16 points as well.
Marcus Steele Marcus Steele 6'0" | PG Solon | 2021 State OH : Has a very quick first step and started off a bit sluggish as he couldn’t get anything to fall in the first half, ending with just three points in 16 minutes of play. Stepped up in spurts in the second half. Steele has solid court vision and knows when to make down-court passes to lead to transition points.
Dante Benjamin: Nobody fought harder to grab an offensive rebound than Benjamin. He’s very tough to slow down as he crashes the boards as good as any guard in the area. Truly an energy guy that brings hustle and production to the court for the Red Raiders.
Jimmie Williams: One bright spot for the Comets was the play from Jimmie Williams. He finished the game with a team-high 20 points and hit critical shots for the team when trying to cut the deficit down. Has a pretty high motor and has shown the ability to take on a bigger role within the offense as of late.
Mentor 71 vs Brush 69
John Hugley IV John Hugley IV 6'9" | C Brush | 2020 State #101 Nation OH : John Hugley did everything he can in what was the last high school game of his career. He poured in a game-high 35 points and 15 rebounds, putting on one of the most dominant performances he’s had all season. He couldn’t be guarded near the rim as he challenged any defender that tried to stop him. Hugley’s next stop will be for head coach Jeff Capel and the Pittsburgh Panthers
Luke Chicone Luke Chicone 5'9" | PG Mentor | 2021 State OH : A slow first half didn’t seem to faze Luke Chicone Luke Chicone 5'9" | PG Mentor | 2021 State OH . He finished the night with a team-high 22 points, including 19 second-half points. He’s as good as any guard in Northeast Ohio at using his body to finish through contact near the rim. Chicone’s performance included a 12-for-12 showing from the free-throw line as well.
Chad Rogers: The Penn State baseball commit was a force in the paint in the first half. He ended up with 21 points and eight rebounds during the win. Rogers was able to get the upper hand on Hugley early on Saturday night and showed his ability to score in more ways than just near the rim as he knocked down three 3-pointers.
Luke Floriea: Floriea was an active defender as he came away with multiple stops on the defensive end, ultimately resulting in scoring opportunities for Mentor on the other end. He finished with 20 points and like Chicone, displays a strong ability to finish layups through contact near the rim. His quick first step allowed him to burn by defenders and he was a big reason why Mentor is moving onto regionals yet again.
Elmore James Elmore James 6'4" | SG Brush | 2022 State OH :One of his best games all season, Elmore James Elmore James 6'4" | SG Brush | 2022 State OH was on full display Saturday night. He was able to finish at the rim a plethora of times and showed confidence in his jump shot. James’ strength remains his defensive efforts, but his ability to create a scoring opportunity with the ball in his hands keeps improving as he has more Division I offers coming throughout the summer.